A Precious Bow
by Bachou
Summary: FE6: Fuuin A story about Klein and his troubles throughout the game, mostly concerning a certain pegasus knight.KleinxTate
1. Prologue

_A Precious Bow_

_Note: This story begins 2 years before chapter 1 of FE6, it will eventually reach the timeline of the game. _

_Warning: This fanfic will contain spoilers for Fire Emblem: The Sword of Seals._

_This is my first fanfic, so enjoy! _

**Disclaimer: Fire Emblem is the property of Intelligent Systems and Nintendo.**

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Chapter 1: Prologue 

_"Don't hesitate…focus only on the target...and nothing else…!"_

FWOOOOOOSH!...THWACK! The arrow from the young archer's bow pierced the practice target with such speed that it still made a whistling sound even after it reached it's destination. The young archer relaxed his stiff shoulders that were decorated with the purple garments of the Etrurian nobility. While brushing back his cool, parted blonde hair, he checked his bow to make sure his shot didn't cause any severe strains in it. If so, he figured his mother wouldn't be too happy with his carelessness. A young trainee girl had been admiring the Etrurian general doing his daily practice...

"Wow! Right on target…nothing less is to be expected from you, General Klein!" the young trainee observing nearby exclaimed.

"…Thank you...although, I'm still not as good as the other generals…" Klein replied calmly.

"That's not true! Even though you are the youngest of the generals, your skill with the bow is unmatched…by even the highest ranking officers in the Etrurian army!" the young trainee was now full of excitement.

"Haha…thank you…I am flattered...Amy, was your name?" Klein questioned the young girl.

"Yes, you are correct…do you practice like this everyday?"

"Almost everyday, sometimes I have other duties I must attend to, which eliminates any free time I have."

"Oh..."

"...It's not that bad..." muttered Klein reassuring the girl. "..you told me you were from...Ilia...?" Klein said hesitantly, trying to recall what she had told him earlier.

"Yep."

"What are you doing in Aquleia?"

"The squad I am training under is doing some work here, and I have to keep an eye on the equipment!"

"Sounds pretty tough--"

"Oh! That reminds me, I have to get these lances polished before I go back!" She started to panic, going around frantically gathering her equipment. "...I'm sorry General Klein, it was nice meeting you. "

"It was nice meeting you too, have a safe trip back." Klein waved back. The young Ilian soldier ran back holding the bundle of lances in an awkward manner that caused her to lose her balance many times, resulting in the lances swinging around in all directions. Various soldiers were forced to maneuver out of the way in fear of getting clobbered by the young girl. Klein couldn't help but smile at the spectacle.

"...Well than, I better get going too..." Klein picked up the remaining arrows he had planned to use and started his walk back to the main hall. Aquleia, the castle capital of Etruria, was a prosperous city full of flavor and richness. It was the home of the Late King Mordred and his son, Prince Mildain, who resided in the palace walls. The Etrurian army was also stationed here, the academy, the place that Klein was currently residing in, had produced many top notch generals, including the three famous Etrurian generals: Great General Douglas, Knight General Percival, and Sorcery General Cecilia. Klein was currently assigned under the Knight General Percival, who was actively dealing with local bandits and keeping the general area safe. However, there were some rumors a conflict starting up in the Western Isles...

Klein had reached the main hall, and was about to make his way towards his room to drop off his equipment, when someone from long past approached him.

"Excuse me, would you happen to be...Lord Pent's son?" a man who looked to be in his thirties asked, drawing Klein's attention.

"Yes, I am General Klein Reglay under the Knight General Percival…you know my father?" Klein replied as he took a good look at the person addressing him. The man had long flowing purple hair that dropped down all the way to his waist and he sported an outfit that was quite similar to the ones the mage generals wore. Behind him was a pink haired woman who had her hair in a similar fashion, and was wearing a silken white dress. In her hands was a large unmarked box that seemed to be a hassle for the young lady, as one can tell from all the fumbling she was doing.

"Your father was my teacher when I was growing up…" the purple haired man said reminiscing about it. He gave a slight chuckle while looking at Klein, "I take it you don't remember me do you?"

"…I'm…sorry…I cannot recall exactly…" Klein replied holding his hand up to his chin trying to search his memories.

"No need for apologies, it is understandable, your father had a number of students…and I left his care when you were only about 3 years old…" the man gave a chuckled again. "I am Erk, a mage general under Sorcery General Cecilia, and this is…" Erk turned to the young lady to find her desperately trying to keep the box in her hands. "Serra! Watch out!"

"AAAHHHH!" Serra screamed as she slipped on her own dress, causing her to fall backwards onto the floor. The package she was holding had opened up upon hitting the polished marble tiles, and the contents of the package scattered across the hall. Books, arrows, and all kinds of meats and vegetables were now sprawled across the floor.

"Are you alright?" Klein reached out a hand to the young woman offering to help her up.

"T-Thank you…" she said embarrassingly.

"SERRA! LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!" Erk screamed trying to contain his anger. "I ask you to do one tiny little menial task…and look what happens!"

"IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" Serra retorted, trying to hide back her embarrassment. "My delicate hands are just not suited to carry such laden things!" Serra quickly muttered as she started picking up the items that had dropped.

Erk gave a heavy sigh, "I'm terribly sorry…my wife is a little clumsy."

"Hey! I'm not clumsy!"

"Oh…it's alright…the package did look pretty heavy." Klein smiled back. He began to assist them in cleaning up the mess.

"Lady Louise asked us to deliver that package to you. Now, it's all ruined!" Erk sighed while giving a mean glare at Serra.

"Mother asked you?"

"…I-I'm sorry, General Klein." Serra apologized while gathering the last of the food products and putting them back into the box.

"No need to apologize, it was an honest mistake." Klein replied.

"I told you that the package was too much for you to handle, Serra."

"Humph! Well, why don't you go and do everything yourself than, Mr. frumpy face!" Serra shoved the package into Erk's arms, causing him to be a little surprised. "I'm going to the dressing room to wash up, I'll meet up with you later Erk!"

"Serra…" Erk said as she ran off in the opposite direction.

"…Wait…now I remember…" Klein interrupted recalling his memories again. "…Erk…the student who would study all day and all night long…my parents would always talk about you!" Klein said, diverting Erk's attention from Serra.

"Haha…is that so?" Erk laughed to himself and put his hand on Klein's shoulder. "I can't believe how much you have grown…how old are you now?"

"17, my birthday is in two weeks."

"Wow…it's been so long…say, while my wife is cleaning up, why don't we get something to eat? Since the lunch that Lady Louise now packed is dirty from being on the floor." Just as he finished the sentence, Klein's stomach emitted a faint growling sound.

"You've read my mind, General Erk." Klein answered. The two made their way to the dining hall of the academy, which was now mostly empty for lunchtime had passed. The two took a seat at a nearby table as the waitress took their orders.

"I'll have today's special."

"I will have the same."

"Very good choice, General Klein and General Erk, your meal will be prepared shortly." The young teenage waitress said giving a quick smile towards Klein. Taking their menus and making her way back to the kitchen.

"I see that you are quite popular with the girls around here, Klein." Erk laughed, teasing the blonde haired archer.

"I fail to see where you draw that conclusion from." Klein replied, shifting a little, obviously embarrassed by the comment. "Anyway…what brings you here? I take it my mother's request isn't the only reason."

"Yes, I currently reside in the northern parts of Etruria, with my wife, and I was asked to deliver a message to General Douglas regarding the safety of Prince Mildain."

"Prince Mildain!" Klein became curious, as he was quite close with the young prince.

"Yes…it seems that there is an unknown group that is targeting the prince's life. General Douglas is in charge of the prince's safety…numerous threatening letters to the prince were found in various places." Erk explained, now with a serious expression on his face.

"Who would want to kill the Prince…?" Klein questioned, quite shocked at the news.

"We do not know yet, General Cecilia wanted General Douglas to know of what we have discovered so far…"

"Prince Mildain…"

* * *

"_Come on Klein! I bet you can't beat me to the courtyard!"_

"_Hey wait up!" the two young boys were running full speed through the palace surprising many of the workers along the way._

"_Prince Mildain, be careful!" shouted one his maids._

"_Hehe…don't get left behind Klein!" Mildain had already reached the courtyard leaving Klein in the dust._

"_ack….huff….puff…wait…up…." _

"_Klein you're too slow, I've been waiting for hours!" Prince Mildain said mockingly._

"_huff…puff…"_

"_Well, what are you two doing here?"_

_Klein looked up at the two dark figures that were addressing them. The bright sun that shined directly on Klein's face, eventually lightened up allowing him to make out the two silhouettes that were talking. It was his father and King Mordred._

"_Mildain…try not wear out Klein, he is still very young after all." The king of Etruria stated._

_  
"Yes, I know father…" Mildain replied, he hated being scolded by his father. "Count Reglay."_

"_Yes? Young Prince?" Pent replied._

"_I want Klein to stay here…in the palace!"_

"_Mildain…he can't stay here, he has his own family." The king scolded him for his sudden outburst._

"_Well...than…I will make him a part of our family! Lord Pent, from this day on…your son shall now be my younger brother!" The prince cried, he was standing straight up, trying to look all disciplined and commander like in front of everybody._

"_Well…uh…" Pent was so shocked at the prince's sudden statement, he didn't know what to say. He didn't want to offend the prince after all._

"_Mildain!" King Mordred now angry at him._

"_He must live in the palace from now on—"_

"_That will not do!" cried a young boy from the side._

"_What?" Mildain was thrown off from Klein's interruption._

"_I'm going to be your knight, so that will not do!" Klein was now standing the same way that Mildain was doing before, trying to look professional. _

"_When I become a knight, I am going to protect you!...I am sorry, Prince Mildain, but you must choose someone else for your brother!"_

"_Klein…"_

_

* * *

_  
"Here is your order!" the young waitress brought out the brightly colored entrees that were filled with all kinds of delicacies.

"Thank you." Klein replied smiling back. The young waitress giggled and skipped back to the kitchen.

"Hmm…the sauce looks kind of funny…" Erk said examining the discolored gravy that drenched almost everything on the plate.

"I'm sure it's fine." Klein reassured Erk while putting a spoonful in his mouth.

"…if you say so…" Erk was still a little suspicious, but seeing that Klein's expression did not change from eating it, he figured it was safe. Erk slowly picked up a portion and placed it in his mouth. However, his expression would change in a matter of seconds as he spit the food out.

"Something wrong General Erk?" Klein questioned, bearing the same unchanged smile on his face.

"S-S-SOUR! I-I NEED WATER!" Erk screamed holding his throat. He quickly got out of his seat and sprinted toward the kitchen knocking over many chairs in the process. Many of the other patrons that were dining were quite startled at the mage's actions.

"General Erk---"

"Klein!" came a sudden interruption. A blonde haired man was running towards him at an alarming rate. He was quite tall and was decorated with the highest ranking, and most prestigious armor in the Etrurian army.

"G-General Percival!" Klein was now startled, Percival usually never seeks out lower ranking officers personally. The seriousness of Percival's look, was also a rare site, although he always looked serious, his seriousness this time looked direr.

"Klein, I have picked you and a few others for a very important assignment, which you must get ready for right now." Percival said with urgency.

"Huh? But…"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you like this, but Advisor Roartz requests that all the people I have chosen to report immediately to the briefing room."

"Advisor Roartz?" Usually advisor Roartz would never talk to someone such as Klein, as he was much too important. Roartz would tell the message to lower ranked generals who would than relay it to everyone else.

"Yes, he says it is very urgent."

"Understood, General Percival." Klein began to follow Percival out of the dining hall. He tried to take a look into the kitchen on the way out, but Erk was no where in sight. He hated to leave a good meal like that, and not telling General Erk would be very disrespectful. However, he couldn't forego his duties for some leisure time. "Looks like General Erk will have to wait…" Klein muttered under his breath as he made his way to the briefing room.

To be continued...

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Author's note: Thank you for taking the time to read this, I appreciate any feedback on my writing and what I can do to improve my writing. Don't hold back on the comments! Let me have it. Thanks! 


	2. Travel Preparations

_Warning: This fanfic will contain spoilers for Fire Emblem: The Sword of Seals._  
**Disclaimer: Fire Emblem is the property of Intelligent Systems and Nintendo.**

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Chapter 2: Travel Preparations 

The briefing room, which had a simple, yet elegant design, was the place where all the Etrurian Generals would give details about upcoming missions or plans. Even in a time of peace that Etruria was currently experiencing, the room would be used quite often. From reconstruction plans, to suggestions for new laws, or even minor theft or bandit problems, would be discussed in this small room. Although Klein was not among the highest ranking Etrurian generals, General Percival did recognize his talent, and Klein would often be picked for an important task. Although, most of the time, he was picked due to his family's prestige that boosted his reputation.

Percival had Klein hurry as fast as possible for they were already tardy, and the advisor wasn't one who had the capacity for patience. Just as they were arriving to the doorway, a man that neither Klein nor Percival recognized, was making his way out of the room. Unfortunately for Klein, his determination to not make the advisor angry caused him to bump into the mystery man.

"Ah!"

"Hey! Watch it!" The man spat, as the two of them collided. Klein reeled back from the impact of running into a chest covered in full plated armor.

"I'm terribly sorry, I am late for a meeting, and was in a rush to get there…" Klein apologized quickly as he got a closer look at the person in front of him. The man seemed to be a lot older than Klein toting some wrinkles and a nice moustache to go along with his brown combed hair. However, Klein could easily see that the man had experience from his rugged stature and from the armor that adorned his entire body. Yet, the armor was not something that Klein recognized immediately…

"I shall forgive you this time, from the looks of it, you look like you are still young and inexperienced, remember to try to pay more attention where you're going next time." The man uttered, trying to give a brief lecture to Klein and flaunting his superiority at the same time.

"Yes…" Klein replied, ashamed to have made such a careless error in front of Percival.

"If you will excuse me." The man quickly forced his way past Klein and Percival, giving the famed Knight General a menacing glare as he passed him. Percival returned the stare likewise in a similar fashion until the mysterious general was out of sight.

"Hmm…I didn't recognize him, I hope he wasn't an important official..." Klein inquired to himself.

"…He is not of the Etrurian army." Percival hastily replied, still staring off into the direction the man went.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"His armor…is that of Bern's…a high ranking one at that."

"Bern? Why would an important Bern officer be here? Wouldn't they just send a letter or use a messenger to deliver their requests?" Klein asked, obviously perplexed at the situation.

Percival paid no heed to Klein, he was still lost in thought staring towards the opposite end of the hallway.

"General Percival?" Klein gave a Percival a quick nudge to his left torso.

"Oh…sorry…don't worry about it; I'm sure it was nothing. Keep on going, we don't want to make the advisor angry at us." Percival quickly snapped back into reality. Klein was a little worried about his superior, but he couldn't keep the others waiting any longer. They hastily entered the briefing room and met the quite impatient advisor Roartz.

"General Percival, so glad to see that you finally made it, did the Prince make you tardy yet again?" The advisor inquired sarcastically to the Knight General. Klein, feeling guilty about wasting Percival's time felt the need to take the blame.

"I'm sorry advisor—"

"It wasn't the prince's fault," Percival interrupted. Still sporting his usual serious look, "I had some errands to do resulting in both my subordinate and I to be late. Please forgive our late arrival, Advisor Roartz."

Klein gave Percival a perplexing look for taking the blame, even though Percival was known to do it quite often.

"No matter…" The advisor retorted, quite irritated with Percival. He motioned to Klein, "You there, take a seat. I will begin shortly."

The room consisted of only one large rectangular table that stretched from one wall to the other, red velvet chairs were positioned along the edges of the table equidistant from each other. Most of the chairs were empty except for the one that Advisor Roartz was currently seated in, and four other chairs, occupied by people who Klein was not familiar with. Klein took a seat in the chair closest to the entrance, next to one already occupied by another general, who Klein figured, was also chosen for the assignment. Percival remained standing in his spot in the doorway, to prevent anyone else from entering or interrupting the meeting in any way possible.

"Is he the one you've chosen General Percival?" Advisor Roartz inquired, obviously indicating Klein.

"Yes, General Klein Reglay, Commander of the sixth archery division under my command." Percival replied sternly. Roartz took a good look at Klein, trying to find the truth in the Knight General's words.

"Is that so? He does not seem too experienced…did I not ask that you send one of your best officers for this assignment? Or did you think to make a fool out of me, Knight General?" the Advisor followed up, trying to undermine Percival and Klein. He was successful in his attempt on Klein, who lowered his gaze to the floor in shame, but Percival wasn't the kind of person that lets his subordinates take such verbal abuse.

"That was not my intention, advisor. General Klein has proven himself to be most reliable in his ability to carry out orders with perfection. I assure you, that you will not be disappointed with him." Percival retorted without hesitation to Roartz. Who just scoffed at Percival's reply, he knew that the stern Knight General would say something like that.

_He is so predictable…but…easily predictable people are also easy to manipulate._ Roartz laughed under his breath, giving an impression to the other men in the room that he accepted Percival's explanation.

Klein couldn't help but feel proud hearing Percival speak in that manner about him. The other men in the room gave Klein a small glance trying to judge his value from the comments.

"I hope I can rely on him just as mush as you have…" the advisor said wittingly. "Well then, shall I begin?" he motioned towards Percival to lock the entrance to the room. "…As you all know our colonies in the Western Isles are a great deal of worth to the Etrurian kingdom." The advisor did a quick survey of the room to make sure he had everyone's attention. "Our mining corporation there has managed to extract an abundant amount of resources from the various mines scattered throughout the area…they are so important to the Etrurian government, that if we were to lose these mines to others, the economic repercussions would be disastrous."

"I heard that the mines face frequent bandit problems." Percival intervened.

"Yes...however, the real threat lies in the resistance forces." The advisor retorted, Percival shifted slightly at the subject. Klein was quite perplexed at Roatz's comments.

"The resistance…forces?" Klein asked the advisor.

"They are a menace to the people of the Western Isles and the Etrurian kingdom. They plunder, kill, and rape the villagers that inhabit the island everyday, even more so than the run of the mill bandit." He paused and gave a slight grin seeing the look of shock on Klein's face. "That is why I am sending you all to the Western Isles…to help Lord Arcard crush the resistance forces and put an end to their unjustifiable ways."

The others in the room, barring Klein and Percival, all smiled at the revelation of their new assignment. Klein, however, was not as excited with the idea of staying in the Western Isles, so far away from Castle Reglay and Aquleia, which he had grown accustomed to. Also, with the rumors about the prince being the target of an assassination plot, he wanted to be nearby in case something terrible happened.

Yet, he had never been anywhere outside of the Etrurian mainland and the thought of seeing a new place and perhaps meeting new people helped ease his worries. Besides, he couldn't back out now anyways; General Percival had chosen him specifically for this mission, refusing to go would only bring shame and disappointment to him.

"I will let General Percival give the details about the rest of the mission." The advisor motioned to Percival.

"Thank you advisor Roartz." Percival began; he took out a map of Elibe and laid it out on the table so everyone in the room could see it. Pointing to the Western Isles on the map, which were the group of islands located off the western coast of Elibe, he explained. "The Western Isles are made up of three distinct islands: Fibernia, Caledonia, and Dhia. All of the islands are rich in mineral mines…thus the Etrurian government have set up various mining… corporations…all throughout the islands." Klein noticed that Percival was slightly hesitant as he finished the statement, the advisor noticed as well.

"The mining corporations provide jobs and housing for the locals of the Western Isles, if they were to be lost, the entire economy of the Western Isles would be ruined." Roartz interrupted, Percival gave a look of discontent towards the advisor. "…you may continue General Percival." Roartz responded in kind, with a grin on his face.

"...Lord Arcard, who is in charge of supervising the facilities in the Western Isles, will give you further instructions upon your arrival."

"How will we get there?" one of the generals inquired.

"We have arranged a ship in the port town to the west that will take you straight to Djuto. The ship will depart in two days, so make all the preparations you need as soon as possible."

"How long do you estimate this mission will take?" Klein asked bluntly.

"When the resistance forces are subdued and Lord Arcard no longer requires your aid, which could be many weeks, months, or even years." Percival replied. Klein was not too pleased with the answer, but there wasn't anything he could do about it.

"Are there any other questions?" Percival asked, surveying the entire room. No one else gave Percival the notion that there were, so Percival turned to Roartz, "Is there anything else that you want to address, Advisor?"

"No, that will be all for today." The advisor assured him.

"Very well, than I shall see you all at the ship in two days." Percival gave slight nod, signaling that the meeting had come to an end. Klein and the other generals picked up their belongings and began to make their way to the doorway. Advisor Roartz stood up from his chair and started to do the same, however Percival tapped him on the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

"Advisor Roartz, I want to ask you something." Percival stated. Roartz didn't turn around to face Percival, instead turning his head slightly just enough for Percival to see one side of his face.

"Be quick about it, I have other matters to attend to."

"It's about the person who was in here earlier." Percival muttered quickly, the advisor raised his brow, quite alarmed by the statement. Even though everyone else had cleared out of the room, the advisor still put up his guard to face what Percival had to say next.

"Hmm…What do you mean?"

"Earlier…as I was making my way towards the room, I saw General Flaer walking out…" The advisor jumped slightly as soon as he heard the name. But, not awkwardly enough to catch Percival's attention.

"General Flaer is among the highest ranking officers in Bern, just under the Dragon Lord Narshen…." Percival trailed off waiting for the advisor's response. At first the advisor remained silent giving the Percival the impression that the advisor was up to something. "Why would—"

"He was just relaying information concerning the location of some Etrurian deserters in the Bern kingdom, no need for alarm, Knight General." The advisor snapped back at him. Percival, however, was not convinced by Roartz's explanation.

"Why would they send one of their top officers here for such a trivial matter?"

"…It is really none of your concern Percival…besides…" Roartz decided that it was a good time to test how loyal Percival was to the prince. "…shouldn't you be worrying about more important issues…like perhaps…the safety of Prince Mildain…." Roartz deliberately said each word slowly to let the shock sink in to Percival. And judging from the bewildered look on his face, he was quite successful.

"…W-What are you talking about?"

"You haven't heard?"

"…No…I haven't." Percival assured him, a chilling feeling was climbing up his back at that moment.

"…It seems that the resistance group is after the life of the young prince." Roartz stated, finally turning around to face Percival completely. Just in time to see the Knight General's face light up in astonishment.

"…What!..." Percival exclaimed, still not finding the advisor's words trustworthy. "Where did you hear of such a thing? I find it odd that you would find out information like this before I would!"

"What is so perplexing about it? I am an advisor to the king himself, and my family is of the highest nobility in Aquleia." Roartz retorted mockingly. "If it weren't for the prince, I would be second to the king."

"…I am aware of that, but matters concerning the prince in any degree are usually reported immediately to either myself or General Douglas first. Especially dire news like this." Percival said crossing his arms, trying to keep calm. "Anyway, if this is true, than we must tighten the security around the area immediately."

"Yes, it would be devastating if the prince were to be killed. I heard that Prince Mildain is very susceptible to poison, is this true?"

"He is…the prince's immune system is weak and his body is easily devastated by even minor illnesses." Percival replied grimly.

"Interesting…Knight General, please give me the details for your plans in response to this threat when you can, I might be able to find the culprits with my contacts in the Etrurian nobility." Roartz informed him, hoping to hear what he wanted to hear.

"I will be sure to do so advisor..." Percival assured him with a slight nod.

"Well then, I must be going now, I'm late for another important meeting…Oh!" Roartz pulled out a sealed letter from his pocket and handed it to Percival. "I need one of your men to deliver this to Bishop Oro of the Elimine Church. I would do it myself but I am far too busy."

"Very well." Percival nodded as he started to make his way out of the room.

"Also, one more thing." Roartz said to him right as Percival was about to reach the doorway.

"It is very important that the letter is only seen by Bishop Oro, and no one else."

* * *

"HAHA! I can't wait to teach those puny resistance forces a lesson!" General Morgan exclaimed clenching his lance with both his hands. Klein didn't pay any attention to the overly excited general, who was shouting incessantly, even though the only others in the room were Klein and the three other officers who were to accompany them; He just continued to pack his equipment for the upcoming trip to the Western Isles. The other men in the room just shook their head at Morgan's antics. 

One of the other officers present sighed, "You don't have to shout General Morgan, we are all right next to you, and can hear you perfectly." Klein couldn't help but chuckle under his breath, in agreement.

Morgan scoffed at the officer who made the comment, "I know that! T-this is how I usually talk when I'm the battlefield, I'm getting ready, that's all." He pounded the lance into the ground and a few inches right before Klein's face, causing the young archer to look up in surprise. "Humph, you guys are still inexperienced, when you have seen as many battles as I have, it's only natural that one talks loudly, so that everyone on the battlefield can hear you." Morgan boasted with a grin on his face.

Klein just smiled back, "If you are this loud on the battlefield, General, then I can't help but be surprised that you are still standing here today."

"Hmm? Why would that be so surprising?" Morgan raised an eyebrow at him.

"If I had spotted an enemy commander that was screaming at the top of his lungs, right in the midst of a furious battle. My first instinct would be to fire an arrow at him, would you not agree?" Klein replied without hesitation. The other generals quickly followed up with a mocking laughter, which only served to anger Morgan. And he was not one who took too kindly to being made fun of. Especially by a lower ranked officer such as Klein.

"S-SHUT UP! What do you know?" Morgan shouted at Klein, trying to prevent himself from being upstaged by the young general. "Your just an inexperienced archery commander, you snobby little brat! If an arrow was flying at me I would just deflect it! Everyone knows that!" Klein was taken aback by the comment; he didn't expect Morgan to get so worked up over his observation. He was prepared to apologize for his remark, but one of the other men in the room had to go and make things worse.

"Deflect it? Morgan, you wouldn't be able to see one of Klein's shots! Why do you think the female servants swoon over him? It's not only because of his boyish good looks, but his skill with the bow is unmatched, he never misses his target! Why in fact, I believe that he once hit a target from 10000 meters away while being swarmed by ravage pack of fangirls! And another time..."

Klein just shook his head as his fellow officer rattled on and on about Klein's achievements. He knew the guy who was currently speaking up for him, they had been in the same archery class in the earlier years. The guy had always attempted to get on Klein's good side, because he had a thing for Klein's younger sister. Klein didn't think that Clarine would be too excited about meeting him, so Klein always held him back. Although the two of them did seem to be pretty similar in some respects, mostly in the 'kissing up to Klein part'.

Even though, in much respect, Klein did get the best score while he was attending the classes in the academy, and came out as valedictorian when he finished. However, examination scores could only get you so far in the real world. After all, he did not possess much experience in using a bow in actual combat. He had only been able to test his skills against a couple of misguided bandits a few times, that had attempted to ransack the neighboring villages.

Klein took a good look at the silver bow that he had packed for the upcoming trip. The bow had been his most treasured possession, and was his only real relic that he had brought with him, when he enrolled in the Etrurian army. His mother had given it to him as a parting gift, when Klein moved out of the castle in order to live and study at the academy. However, he still had not used it in actual combat, only practicing with it in the targeting range as he had done so earlier. It was due to Klein still not being able to master the techniques that were required in operating a silver bow proficiently in combat. He figured he would practice with it, while on the Western Isles and come back to Aquleia a fully accomplished sniper.

"…Even if you could best Klein in a rock throwing contest, it would not still prove anything! You see…" Klein still couldn't believe that his former classmate was still rambling on, who was too oblivious to tell that his little talk was only serving to make all the other generals in the room, quite irritated. And one could certainly estimate the level of irritation they felt, just from the veins that began to appear on their foreheads. Especially General Morgan, who seemed about ready to thrust his lance right down onto the poor sap at just about any minute, just to shut him up. Klein just shook his head and waited for what was to come.

"I believe we have heard enough." A familiar voice echoed from the side of the equipment hallway. Klein could tell that there was only one person whose voice and aura could bring about the tension that had filled the room so quickly. "I assume from all of your antics, that you all are finished packing whatever you needed." Percival stated, taking a look at each of the 5 officers. All of them quickly got into a line to address the Knight General.

"Yes, sir!" all five of the men, including Klein, yelled out in unison.

"Good, your horses have already been prepared at the front gate. Before you depart, make sure that everything you have in your possession here at the academy is stored away safely. While you are away, we shall be using your living quarters to house new recruits." Percival added with a stern face.

The one officer who was blabbing his mouth off earlier, raised his head to speak, but quickly lowered it again when his eyes met the Knight General's eyes. One thing that irritated him, was someone, especially one of his subordinates, being too afraid to speak their mind. If there was one thing that he emphasized the most to his officers, it would have to be their trust. And if one of his own men didn't trust his superior enough, not to get angry over a trivial question, then he felt has if he failed to teach them correctly. In response he turned to the knight, "If you have something on your mind, then say it."

"…Pardon me for asking, but…I assume that those new recruits…are to replace everyone that is being sent to the Western Isles?" The young man said hesitantly. Percival just stared at the speaker, his gaze caused the subtle feeling of uneasiness to slip up the man's back. The officer asked again, "Knight Gen—"

"Yes…that is correct," Percival finally replied softly, still having has eyes locked on the knight. He was attempting to come up with a good reason for the new recruits, but was unable to provide a convincing one. "The advisor has personally selected elite soldiers from noble families in order to fill up any empty rooms. However, I am not too sure on the exact details of his plans, but I am fairly certain his intentions are not without good reason." The young man slowly nodded his head in reply, too intimidated by Percival to digress any further into the subject. Klein wanted to ask a follow up question, but decided against it at the last minute, he didn't want to look too inquisitive. But, Percival read Klein like a book and decided to send him to go do an errand as punishment.

"Also! Before you depart, I need one of you to bring a letter to Bishop Oro of the Elimine Church." Percival added casually, looking at Klein. Klein let out a brief sigh as he knew what that meant. Even though Percival often did not express his emotions, he was still very easy to read, just from his minute actions.

For example, if he you were to show him your battle formation techniques, he would give three different responses based on your result. If you had shown good form and indicated that you had trained well, he would give a slight nod. If you had performed well, but not quite the best you could do, he would stare you at you intently for about 5 minutes, indicating that you need improvement. If the formation was sloppy and full of mistakes, he would let out a low sigh and brush his hair back with his hand, trying to tell you 'I can't believe I was forced to see that.' And finally, if he gave an order while looking straight at you with a totally serious face, he wants you, and only you to carry it out. Similar to what Percival was doing to Klein right now, and the young archer couldn't help but laugh at the predicament.

"Is there something funny about my request Klein?" Percival turned towards him. The other generals, also familiar with the Knight General's habits, already knew that Percival was going to choose Klein for the errand and began to exit the hallway. As expected, Percival paid no heed to them.

"Oh…I…" Klein attempted to contain his amusement while speaking, but just looking at Percival right now made him laugh. He held up his left hand to cover his mouth trying to hide his merriment, and the right palm signaling to Percival, "…it's nothing…"

"Is that so...then, since you are in a good mood, would you care to deliver the letter for me?" Percival prompted, waving the letter in front of him. As much as he expected it, Klein could tell that his superior was quite irritated with him. He knew how scary Percival could be when he got angry, well not really, but he didn't want to push his luck now. He finally calmed down and took the letter from Percival.

"General Percival, why don't you just have one of the other soldiers do it? I was hoping to drop this off before I depart…" Klein took out a small vanilla envelope with his family's seal on it.

"Well since the church is right on the path to the city limits, it wouldn't take long for you to deliver it, just a quick stop should be sufficient." Percival added quickly.

"I see…" Klein narrowed his eyes looking at the envelope.

"Is that for Lord Pent and the Countess?"

"Yes…I was hoping to inform my family about my departure before I was to leave for the Western Isles…" Klein replied softly. Percival took Klein's arms and grabbed the vanilla envelope from his hands. Klein looked up at Percival confused. "General Percival?"

"Do not worry…I will deliver it to castle Reglay for you, personally." Percival said reassuringly with a smile, an emotion scarcely displayed by the blond Knight General. Klein, pleased by Percival's assurance, expressed his gratitude by quickly gathering up his equipment and nodded at the Knight General.

"Thank you very much General Percival! I will deliver the letter to Bishop Oro as soon as I can!" Klein exclaimed with a smile, as he hurried towards the opposite end of the hallway.

"Oh! And Klein, make sure no one else but Bishop Oro sees the letter!" Percival shouted to Klein as he was running out. Klein just held up his hand and nodded in response right before he shut the highly decorated 10 foot door that served as the exit.

Percival closed his eyes and looked straight up, brushing back his bangs with his arm. He examined the rich velvet tapestries that adorned the ceiling of the hallway, each one contained the family crest that represented King Mordred's family. In essence, the symbol of Aquleia. Percival let out a small sigh thinking back to the advisor's warnings concerning the young prince.

Closing his eyes he unconsciously muttered under his breath, "Klein…I hope you can protect the people of the Western Isles…just like I'm going to protect Prince Mildain."

* * *

Author's note: Considering it took about...5 months to write this chapter, I don't think its as good as it should be. But, I appreciate everyone who reviewed it, and I apologize to the people who were looking forward to the next chapters. Hopefully, I won't take half a year in writing chapter 3.  



	3. Off to the Western Isles

_Warning: This fanfic will contain spoilers for Fire Emblem: The Sword of Seals._  
**Disclaimer: Fire Emblem is the property of Intelligent Systems and Nintendo.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Off to the Western Isles 

"One…two…three…GO!" the young mercenary ordered her troops into formation, surrounding the frightened man.

"We've got you completely surrounded! Give it up!" shouted one of the soldiers raising their lance.

"Damn…" the brigand muttered to himself. He stood no chance against all of them, and if he were to surrender now, they would just kill him later once he was locked up. The only choice was to take the out the leader, and then make a run for it during the confusion. "YOU ETRURIAN DOGS! TAKE THIS!" the bandit hurled his one-handed axe at the Pegasus knight directly in front of him.

"Captain! Watch out!"

The young teenaged girl hastily pulled her reins to the side, easily avoiding the axe that was intended for her. Taking advantage of the momentum, she twirled her javelin directly above her head and hurled it straight at the brigand, catching him off completely off guard, the javelin managed to directly pierce his chest. The bandit let out a dreadful groan as he fell flat on his back, with the bloody javelin still protruding from his stomach.

"That was close Captain! Are you alright?" one of the girls asked, flying towards the one who had killed the brigand.

"…I'm fine." She reassured her companion. The aqua haired captain had her Pegasus fly down to the ground next to the person who she had just slain. She began to examine the corpse by rummaging through the tattered pockets and taking off the bandana that the man was sporting. To the young woman's dismay, she didn't find anything in possession of the bandit whatsoever. Except of course, the javelin that was still lodged in his chest, which she promptly removed. Muttering to herself unconsciously, "That's….strange…"

"What's the matter?" one of the other girls prompted.

"Didn't…the advisor say that the bandits had stolen a large amount of gold from the village? This is the last one we've defeated, and we have searched each and every one of them..." the young captain paused for a moment to think about it. "…but not one trace of gold has been found...or anything to indicate that they have stolen anything at all…" As she finished she managed to clean most of the blood off of her javelin with a small cloth that she had in her pocket.

"Maybe…they hid the stolen valuables in a cave?" the girl next to her attempted to make sense of the situation.

"Bandits don't actually have their hideouts in caves…Amy, that's just a stereotype." The captain replied, brushing back her unkempt hair. "Besides, when we found them, they were already fleeing from something, most likely running from a town that they had just finished plundering."

"Well, maybe they were running from…a monster? Or a big bad wolf?" the captain just shook her head at her companion's comment.

"There are no such things as monsters…and I don't think a group of tough brigands like them would be scared of a wolf."

"Hey! I was just giving a plausible suggestion that's all!" Amy replied with an attitude.

"Those are hardly plausible…"

"Well, it's better than not saying anything at all, you shouldn't fret over small things like this!"

"I don't think this is a small issue, the advisor asked us to search the bandits themselves. So, don't lecture me!"

"Geez…I just didn't want you to worry so much, lighten up a little!"

"You know...you sound just like my little sister…"

"Oh…I'm sorry…Captain."

"No need to apologize…it's nice to be reminded of her every once in a while…anyway, we should start heading back to the castle to make our report." The captain spoke, gathering up her belongings and mounting her Pegasus.

"Right." The other four girls in the squad responded, mimicking her actions as they prepared to set off for Castle Aquleia.

* * *

"I have come on behalf of Lady Cecilia to inform General Douglas of an urgent matter! Please…I must see him." Erk informed the soldier who was currently barring him from meeting the Great General. 

"I'm sorry Sir Erk, but currently he is discussing matters with the King and the Advisor at the moment. Perhaps you could come back another time?"

"No, that will not do, I must see him immediately! Could you please just ask him that he spare a few minutes of his time? It is important information concerning the Prince." Erk insisted, he had been standing outside General Douglas's office for a while. And he could not afford to squander anymore time since he had already wasted a good amount after eating the cook's meal.

"Sir Erk, I cannot interrupt General Douglas when he is with the king and the advisor, doing so would be most disrespectful. If you are to persist anymore, than I will have to ask you to leave, or you will be detained!"

"But—"

"Please refrain yourself Sir Erk!" the soldier shouted menacingly.

"Then…you would dare go against Lady Cecilia's wishes?" the purple haired sage asked the soldier inquisitively.

"To prioritize General Douglas's wishes, then yes, I do. General Douglas asked for no visitors while he was with the king and I am doing just as he requested. Besides…" the soldier held off on the last sentence, but Erk noticed from the look in his eyes that he was eager to finish it.

"Besides?"

"…Besides…everyone knows Lady Cecilia shouldn't even have such a high position in the first place."

"What?...Are you serious?" Erk gasped, amazed at the soldier's bold statement.

"A female has no place in the ranks of the Etrurian Generals, I heard she only got the position because the former Sorcery General favored her most out of all his subordinates."

"Did you not consider that he had favored her for a reason?" the veteran mage contemplated to take one of his tomes out and teach the soldier a lesson. But, he had enough experience with soldiers like this, to know better than to attempt to use magic in order to harm another Etrurian soldier in the castle.

"Most likely because she was a woman, not due to her skill." The soldier retorted raising his tone. The more he began to talk, the cockier he began to sound. Erk just shook his head at what he was hearing. Were all of the soldiers under General Douglas like this? He didn't know what to do with the guard that was currently standing in front of him; likewise, he also didn't know what to do when he saw the door behind the soldier open revealing one very angry General.

"If you are so sure about that soldier, then why don't you challenge General Cecilia to a duel? I will be happy to arrange it for you!" A rugged man spoke from behind to the door guard. The man was decorated with the highest and most elegant armor of Etruria. His torso was covered in royal blue plating, embellished with gold lining that adorned the chest and collar area; matching the similar colored mantle that hung from his muscular shoulders. His brown hair was nicely combed as was his admirable beard that covered his chin. Just from looking at the General, a soldier's legs would give way beneath him just from the man's authority. While at the same time a small child would be able to peer into his eyes and find amusement and comfort similar to that of a loving father.

"G-G-General Douglas!" the soldier exclaimed, quite startled by his sudden appearance.

"If you are to say such disrespectful words about Lady Cecilia ever again, than I shall see that you are dismissed from your rank…permanently! Got that?" Douglas shouted furiously at the guardsmen. If the hallway had been devoid of any noise, one would certainly be able to make out the faint sound of the soldier's knees clanging against the reinforced steel that his leg armor was composed of.

"Y-Y-Yes…s-sir!"

"Now GO! Your duty is finished here, you may return to your quarters." Douglas snapped at him. The guard complied with the order exceedingly well, running as fast as the standard Etrurian armor permitted him to, until he was out of sight. The Great General just sighed at the spectacle and shut the door to his office as to not disturb the King and the Advisor who were still in there discussing. He turned his attention towards the seasoned purple haired man that was standing before him, who had his gaze totally locked on the General.

"I must apologize for his behavior…Sir…"

"Erk…" The sage said softly.

"Ah, yes…since you are a sage, I take it you are in Cecilia's division…correct?"

"Yes, I am currently in charge of regulating information concerning foreign nations, under the command of the Sorcery General."

"Is Cecilia still in Ostia?" Douglas inquired curiously, he hadn't spoken with her for quite some time now.

"Yes she is, currently still conducting her duties concerning the young prince of Pharae and the princess of Ostia."

"Oh yes, young Roy…" Douglas muttered to himself out loud. "…Cecilia has told me great things about that young boy. I heard his father, Lord Eliwood, is very ill right now...it must be tough for him."

"Must be…but, I believe that the royal family of Pharae can handle anything." Erk said with great confidence. "Especially the Marquess..."

"Is that so? You seem to know a lot about him."

"I guess you could say that…" Erk said shifting slightly. "Anyway…we should get back to the matter at hand."

"Haha…I'm sorry for getting off subject, it must be my age catching up to me, sometimes I wish to just talk about other stuff rather then military affairs." The Great General mused, crossing his arms getting ready for what Erk had for him. "So, what does Lady Cecilia need?"

"Two weeks ago, while Lady Cecilia was in Ostia, she came across some disturbing news." Erk said pulling out an unmarked sealed letter from his pocket.

"That is…" Douglas's eyes narrowed at the sight of the letter. The letter was severely wrinkled and seemed to have several blood stains all over it.

"It was a letter confiscated from an unknown spy that was detained in the outskirts of Ostia." He handed over the letter to the General, who easily cut the seal with his index finger, and carefully skimmed over the contents of the letter. Erk could only guess what Douglas was thinking as he read over it, but after he saw the General's eyes widen in horror after finishing it, the sage had a pretty good idea.

"This…"

"Yes…" Erk turned his head slightly to his left and right to make sure no one else was present in the corridor. "…the letter speaks of an elaborate plan to assassinate Prince Mildain…"

"Why…would something like this be found in the outskirts of Ostia?" Douglas muttered to himself, but loud enough so Erk could hear it. Erk just closed his eyes at the remark.

"We are not exactly sure, but we have come to the conclusion that the spy was passing on information to another source, and had to travel through Ostia to get to his destination."

"What of the spy you captured?" Douglas asked, reading over the letter multiple times, trying to make out the words that had been smeared by blood stains.

"A few days after he had been detained, the guards discovered that he had escaped from his prison cell without a trace." He closed his eyes as he began to articulate the next phrase. "…When they went to search for him, they found his severed head in the same location he had been caught in the first place…"

"Hmm…the letter does not say when they plan to attack…" While looking over the letter again, the sweat that was running down Douglas's cheek managed to plummet onto one of the darkened unreadable spots on the letter. The combination of water and salt faded the concentrated ink that was present, revealing a small red crest in it's place. It caught the attention of the Great General and he immediately recognized what the symbol was. "This symbol…is the crest of Etruria…"

"What is?" Erk's face lightened up at the discovery.

"This mark…in the lower corner there…" He showed the letter to Erk and pointed to where the emblem was.

"Your right…" Erk gasped, parting his long violet hair away from his eyes so he could see clearly. "And that symbol…represents the nobility of Etruria…" His face lit up when he realized what that meant. "Then…"

"The spy was most likely delivering a letter for someone of high status in Etruria." The General said grimly.

"So someone from the Etrurian nobility plans to kill the Prince…"

"We must not come to that conclusion just yet." Douglas stated. "Someone could have set this up to cause internal strife in Etruria."

"That's true…"

"Anyway, we still do not have enough information on it, so we can't do anything too rash right now. However, in light of this new information I will make sure of the Prince's safety, and increase security around the area."

"All right, make sure that no one else sees the letter or hears of this." Erk added. "If word were to get out about this, problems would surely arise within the ranks of the Etrurian government."

"Yes, I will keep this between us—"

"General Douglas!" a voice echoed from behind the Great General. Douglas turned around to see one irritated advisor, and one king of Etruria right behind him.

"Advisor Roartz! Your Majesty! You have finished already?" General Douglas asked surprisingly.

"We've been done talking for quite some time now, General Douglas…we were waiting for you to come back in, so we could discuss what we've talked about with you." The king replied bluntly.

"Please accept my apologies my king, there was something I had to take care of out here first." Douglas gave a small bow to the king, as did Erk who was standing idly on the side.

"Do not worry about it, General Douglas." The king reassured him, "We can always talk about it another time."

"Of course."

"Then, I shall leave you to finish your affairs, General Douglas." King Mordred nodded.

"Thank you your Majesty." Douglas responded kindly, watching the king make his way down the hallway and out of his sight.

"What were you discussing, General?" Roartz interrupted casually, spotting the letter in Douglas's hands. At first glance, he did not recognize the paper that the General was holding, but when Douglas attempted to conceal the letter from Roartz's view, his senses immediately went off.

"Just some minor problems with some of the mage formations, Advisor…" Douglas responded, obviously lying. He gestured towards Erk, "General Erk here was giving me suggestions on how to improve them, isn't that right?"

"Yes…" Erk said hesitantly, attempting to back him up. The advisor just eyed the two men with discontent, he wasn't one to be so easily fooled.

"That is quite a trivial matter for you to take your time away from the King, something that is certainly rare--especially for you General Douglas." Roartz conjectured.

"No matters that concern the well being of Etruria are too trivial to ignore, Advisor." Douglas snapped back at him. "In fact most of the time, it's the small things that end up being the most costly in a time of need."

"Hmph…" The advisor had always despised Douglas, his bold mannerisms and complete disrespect for him were the main reasons why. If there was one thing that was barring him from carrying out his plan successfully, it would be General Douglas. He decided that he wasn't in the mood to quarrel with the General right now. "…if you say so General. But remember, keeping secrets to yourself is not a good habit to practice. Especially when one holds a position as high as you, it can set a bad example to your subordinates…"

"Of course." Douglas replied, not fazed by the comment.

"Anyway…I shall be returning to my office, if you have anything you wish to say to me General then I would prefer that you submit it to me in writing..." He began to head off in the direction the king had gone, but after taking a couple of short steps he stopped to finish. "…such as in the form of a letter." He said with a grin causing Erk to flinch slightly. Douglas remained silent as he saw the advisor leave.

"Do you think he'll tell anyone?" Erk asked softly.

"…No, he has no proof, so we should be alright for sometime." He responded not looking back. Erk gave Douglas a blank stare, trying to find some truth in the General's words. "Do not worry, as long as we keep this between us, things won't get any worse…If you find any more information then please inform me as soon as possible."

"I will…" Erk nodded.

"Then, I must get going, I am to have dinner with my daughter and Prince Mildain tonight…unless, you would care to join us? The cook usually makes something special for the Prince and his guests."

"Uh…no thank you. I must go and find my wife anyway, I told her to wait at the entrance for me while I talked to you, she can get very impatient when it comes to waiting for others." Erk refused politely, recalling how the chef's food tasted earlier.

"Then, take care of yourself General Erk." Douglas spoke back, giving a concerning look.

"Same to you, General Douglas." Erk took a quick bow and headed for the end of the hallway. Erk wondered if it was a good idea to entrust the matter to the Great General. General Douglas had been the highest ranked officer in Etruria for quite some time now, although he attained the position during a time of peace. Erk knew that there wasn't anybody more loyal to the king then Douglas himself. Besides, if the prince were to ever come under harm's way, General Douglas's position would certainly be in grave danger. Erk just shook his head at his uncertainty, "_I shouldn't worry so much…the prince is in good hands."_

As he finished the thought, Erk realized that he had slowed his pace considerably and had gone towards the west entrance of the castle, when he had told Serra to meet at the south entrance. "...She is going to be furious at me." Erk sighed to himself, unaware of that a group of women had approached him cautiously.

"Excuse me…"

"Hm?" The sage looked up to see five young girls huddled in front of him, as if he were some kind of beggar looking for attention. Almost immediately, he recognized the blue plated uniforms all the girls were wearing. "…Pegasus Knights…" He mumbled under his breath.

"Yes…that's correct, we are mercenaries from Ilia." One of the younger girls replied to his subconscious words. Erk recognized the speaker as the leader of the Pegasus group, judging from the slightly modified uniform that she had. The captain continued, "We were wondering if you could tell us the directions to Lord Roartz's office…we kind of…got lost in the castle."

"Oh…sure, Advisor Roartz's office is on the second floor of the castle, if you take the stairs to the right, you should easily find your way to his office, as the hallway there is pretty straightforward."

"I knew it was on the second floor!" One of the other Pegasus knights exclaimed, having her mouth covered by the other girls in response to her outburst.

"…Thank you for the help." The captain replied embarrassingly, ignoring her subordinate's comment.

"Your welcome…but…"

"Yes…?"

"If you're a Pegasus knight seeking employment, then you would have to do that over in the registration office in the academy." Erk informed them, under the impression that they were not familiar with the regulation standards set by the Etrurian army. Knowing that the Etrurian nobility usually did not deal with mercenaries.

"Oh yes…we know that, but we already have a contract under the Advisor."

"Advisor Roartz hired you?" Erk inquired with a look of interest.

"Yeah, just recently, we've been working for him and—"

"Captain!" One of the other girls murmured to her before she had the chance to complete her statement.

"Ah!..." The aqua haired captain put a hand to her mouth in order to stop herself from finishing. "I-I'm sorry! Under the Ilian Mercenary code, we are not allowed to disclose any information about our employer's contract."

"Oh…that's alright, I am familiar with the code, I should have known better then to intrude on the matter." Erk assured her, recalling twenty years ago when Fiora had told him about the code.

"Then…if you will please excuse us, we must make our report." The captain said abruptly, taking a slight bow, she turned towards the set of stairs Erk had pointed to. The other four followed her in kind, each eyeing Erk as they passed by him. Causing the sage to shift uncomfortably at the intimidating glares.

As they left, Erk couldn't help but wonder to himself why the Advisor would hire Pegasus Knights. When the Etrurian army hired knights from Ilia, they would usually be hired through the formal process that all mercenaries went through. If one of the officers were in need in one of the mercenaries' services, then the Etrurian army would assign the mercenaries under that officer's specific squad. If someone from the Etrurian nobility, such as Advisor Roartz, were in need of such services, then they would have to ask the officer in charge of the mercenaries for permission to use them. Instead of hiring the mercenaries directly, as was the case here.

"The Advisor is surely up to something…" Erk thought to himself, as he continued to make his way through the castle.

* * *

"You guys wait here while I talk to the Advisor." 

"Right, Captain."

The Ilian captain raised her right arm in an attempt to knock on the advisor's door, but stopped her fist a few inches before it came in contact with it.

"What's wrong Captain?"

"_If Douglas suspects something is up….then…"_

"…I can hear voices from inside." She spoke quietly looking back at the other four, who were leaning against the wall behind her.

"_General Flaer….what should I do?"_

"Oh! What are they saying?" Amy whispered excitedly.

"_We will need to inform Lord Arcard…"_

"I can't make it out quite clearly."

"_Then…in two weeks--"_

"We shouldn't eavesdrop like this." One of the other Pegasus knights scolded her, she was the oldest of the five, and felt it was necessary to remind the captain about her manners.

"Why not Thine?" Amy whined.

"Do I really have to explain to you why? Alright, I'll give you a reason, how about we could easily lose our job if our employer were to find out we've been eavesdropping on him!" Thine scolded back, trying to keep her voice down as much as possible.

"…Your right…I should think more clearly before I do something like this…I must be setting a bad example huh…"

"I didn't mean that, Captain…it's just…" Thine paused trying to find the right words. "…what would Yuuno say if she saw you doing something like this?"

"She would probably say the same thing…"

"Right…I'm just looking out for you, that's all…just as your sister would have done if she were here. So, don't worry about it and just go make our report…ok? Captain?"

"Right…" She nodded in response. Raising her hand to knock on the door she yelled, "Excuse me! Advisor!"

"_Who is it?" _Roartz's muffled voice answered back from within.

"Flight leader of the 5th wing of the Ilian Pegasus knights reporting!"

"_Come in._"

She entered to see the advisor sitting at his desk along with another man in full armor, standing on the opposite side with his arms crossed.

"What do you need?" The advisor demanded rudely, quite displeased with the interruption, especially with General Flaer in the room.

Closing the door behind her, she quickly responded, "We have successfully defeated the bandits that you requested to be stopped, advisor."

"Bandits?" The advisor echoed back, giving the young captain a perplexing look.

"Um…those bandits that were pillaging the houses on the eastern border…" She said hesitantly, surprised that the advisor could not even remember his own orders.

"Ah!...Yes, those…bandits." Roartz finally recalled. "You killed all of them?"

"Yes…"

"Excellent!"

"However…"

"However?" Roartz eyed her, expecting that the young girl had found out something she wasn't supposed to know.

"…We were unable to recover any stolen possessions at all, as there were none found on any of the bandits we killed." She sighed back, ashamed.

"Oh…that's alright." Roartz replied casually.

"It is?" She exclaimed back at him, she assumed that the advisor would be at least slightly upset at her failure.

"Yes--so you did not find anything at all? Not even…a—"

"Note?" Flaer chimed in, finishing Roartz's sentence and initiating a cold look from the Advisor. The Pegasus captain turned around to face Flaer.

"No…nothing was found at all." She assured him. Flaer just closed his eyes in response.

"Then...I have another request for you and your knights." Roartz uttered, picking up a sealed letter on his desk and handing it over to the girl.

"This is…" She murmured, taking the letter and examining it closely.

"That's for Lord Arcard in Djuto, I want you to deliver it to him."

"Djuto…isn't that the capital of the Western Isles?" She asked doubtfully.

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"No…I was just thinking, that's a little far, that's all."

"Hmm? Your Pegasus knights _aren't_ you? Can't you just fly right over the sea to get there?" Roartz stated coldly, annoyed by her complaint.

"Yes…but our Pegasus get tired sometimes when flying long distances."

"Is that so? But Wyverns can fly long distances without fatigue can't they? Why can't Pegasus Knights?" Roartz mocked, a grin appearing on his wrinkled face. Flaer snickered at the subtle compliment.

"Well…"

Roartz just sighed at her, "Fine! If you must, there is an Etrurian transport ship prepared to leave for the Western Isles in two days, just west of here in the nearby harbor town. If you hurry, you and your knights can take that ship to the Western Isles."

"T-Thank you." She stammered, irritated by the advisor's rude comment. She gave the advisor a hasty bow and headed straight for the door. As soon as she shut the door to the advisor's room behind her, she was greeted by four angry Ilian mercenaries.

"Captain! How could you let them insult you like that!" Amy shouted, sporting a furious glare.

"W-What are you talking about?" She backed up, surprised at the sudden outburst.

"The way they made fun of Pegasus Knights!...Calling us inferior to Wyvern Riders." Imposed Thine.

"How…how do you know…about…" The captain's face went red with anger as she realized what they had done. "You were eavesdropping on the conversation!"

"Well…sort of…." Amy smiled back, trying to look innocent.

"What do you mean sort of!"

"Sorry, Captain but we couldn't help it." Thine said, attempting to contain her laughter.

"I can't believe you…even after that lecture you gave me…you still had the nerve to…" She snapped back at them, shaking her head in disgust.

"…S…sorry, i-it's just…you should see your face right now…hahaha!" Thine replied cracking up.

"A-And your laughing about it!"

"No hard feelings right captain?" Amy implored, putting her hands together as a form of apology.

"You……alright, I've had enough! Everyone…just get your things ready and meet me at the front gate." The captain breathed, she turned her backs towards them and began walking towards the stairs at the end of the hall.

"Wait! Captain, where are you going?" Amy yelled out to her, but the young captain didn't show any signs of response.

"Don't worry about her...she just needs some time to calm down…" Thine told her, as the four Pegasus knights watched as their captain walked off.

* * *

The Elimine Supreme Church, if there was any indication to the vast amount of influence Aquleia had over the rest of Elibe, this would be it. Towering over the rest of the city, the Elimine Church, along with the Tower of the Saint were the two buildings that represented the pride and wealth of Etruria, both built in honor of Saint Elimine herself. There were numerous churches scattered throughout Elibe that had been built by followers of Elimine as well, but the one in Aquleia was the most impressive out of them all. And Klein was standing right under the gigantic statue that thousands prayed to everyday. 

"Bishop Oro you say?" the young cleric said curiously.

"Yes, I need to speak to him." Klein smiled back at the girl.

"I believe he is in the scriptures room, would you like me to show you where it is?" The cleric replied kindly, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

"No, that's alright, I know where it is, thank you very much." Klein nodded.

"Oh…ok." The cleric muttered disappointedly; she had hoped to escort the handsome archer through the church. She sighed and returned to her duties at cleaning the altar.

Klein just chuckled at the cleric's actions and began walking towards the door that led to the scriptures room. The Elimine Supreme Church, being the largest church in Elibe, was used for several purposes each and every day. First, there was the main chapel, which was the main place of worship for the followers of Elimine and was open to the public at all times. Then, there were the healing facilities, which served as a medical center for clerics and priests to heal the wounded. Also conducted there, were classes that taught aspiring mages, clerics, and priests how to use the healing powers that were contained in the staffs of Elimine. Next, there were small rooms that were used by the head bishops of the Elimine church, in order to discuss any news that dealt with the faith's affairs. And finally, all the ancient scriptures and scrolls that Saint Elimine had compiled were contained in a rather small room in the church. This room was created in case anybody wanted to read up on any of the inspired writings concerning the rich history of Elibe, which included the Scouring and the eight legendary heroes that ended the war. And this was the room Klein had stopped in front of.

Taking a good look at the surroundings, he was quite surprised at the disorganized state the room was in. The ten tables that were scattered throughout the place were all completely covered in books, scrolls, and loose papers. Many of the books on the bookshelves were placed the wrong way and looked as if they were about to fall off and injure any poor soul who happened to be standing under the two thousand page appendix. Klein expected the Elimine church, with as many followers as it had, would have at least some volunteers to help keep the room tidy in order to prevent it from reaching such a state. In fact, the room was practically devoid of human life, except for one priest in the far corner of the room who was busy chanting something off of one of the scrolls laid out before him.

"Bishop Oro?" Klein asked hesitantly, approaching him. He didn't want to interrupt the man in…whatever he was trying to achieve.

The middle aged man stopped his chanting to look up at Klein. "Yes, that's me."

"I have a letter from the castle…" Klein responded taking out the sealed paper Percival had given him. He handed it over to the teal haired bishop. "Here."

Oro breathed a sigh of displeasure, lifting up his arms in order to get his hands free from the long light blue robes he was wearing. He snatched the letter away from Klein and quickly opened it, eager to get the matter over with. Klein just watched him as he read over the contents of the letter.

"Hmm…a letter from the advisor…" Oro whispered scanning over the words. As the Bishop read the letter, Klein took the liberty to take a quick glance at the scroll Oro had been reading before Klein approached him. The scroll appeared to be a number of details on how to use the famous spell book _Aureola_, which Saint Elimine had used during the Scouring. Klein wondered why the Bishop would require the knowledge on how to use the book if it was locked away in the Tower of the Saint.

"Is he serious!" Oro yelled out, startling the young archer.

"What's the matter?" Klein asked politely.

"He wants me to go to…Mt. Ebrakhm?" Oro exclaimed widely, his eyes bolting over the letter again to make sure he read it right.

"That's…"

"…in North Fibernia! He expects me to go all the way to the Western Isles!" The bishop slammed the letter down on the desk with his clenched fist. "Why doesn't he send someone like Windam to do it? Just because I know the region's geography, doesn't mean…!" He trailed off looking down at the _Aureola_ scroll.

"Um…Bishop Oro?" Klein inquired softly, not wanting to anger him any further.

"Now…I'll never get my hands on the divine…" Oro paused to look up at Klein, it seems that he had almost forgotten he was not alone. "Your still here? What do you want?"

"Well…I just wanted to tell you that I am headed off to the Western Isles too, I can escort you to the ship that will take us there, if you would like." Klein offered the priest. Oro just laughed at the ridiculous request.

"Hahaha! I have no need for an escort! I am a representative of God, do you really think that I can't fend for myself?"

"Well, you seemed awfully distressed about making the trip to the Western Isles." Klein retorted casually, not fazed by the Bishop's rash comments.

"It's not about the distance!" Oro sighed, looking back at the _Aureola_ scroll. "A non-servant of God such as yourself would not be able to comprehend my predicament. Just leave!" The priest gestured towards the doorway.

"Very well…" Klein said formally, turning around and doing as the disrespectful priest suggested. Walking out the door he shook his head, he thought that all priests and clerics were supposed to be kind natured, apparently Klein was mistaken. Making his way towards the main chapel, he spotted the cleric that he met earlier, gossiping with another cleric. From the looks of it, there was something of interest taking place on the far side of the chapel.

"He's at it again, isn't he?" One cleric whispered putting her hand up to her mouth in order to hide the fact that she was talking.

"Yes…poor girl…whenever he sees a pretty face, he will go straight for it."

"Is something the matter?" Klein inquired walking up to the two girls. Surprised that clerics of the Elimine church would talk as if they were gossiping house wives. The younger cleric jumped up when she saw him.

"Ah! You're the general from before!" She gestured towards two people conversing on the opposite side of the room. "Can you please tell Father Saul to get back to his duties? Bishop Yodel told him to prepare the decorations for tomorrow's ceremony, but all he's done is flirt with that girl ever since she walked in!"

"Father Saul?" Klein asked confounded.

"Yes…he is that priest over there, the one with the blue hair." The cleric confirmed, pointing at the priest who was making all sorts of silly gestures towards the blue armored girl standing next to him. Who seemed about ready to smack the priest right across the face.

"Wait…why do I have to go talk to him?"

"You're a guy! If we talk to Father Saul, he would just ignore us and attempt to get us to have dinner with him!" She implored the blond general pushing him forward.

"But, what should I say?" Klein turned around, stalling for time. Perhaps, he shouldn't be so curious next time.

"Just tell him to stop!" The cleric whispered to him.

"Wouldn't that be a little rude? I don't even work for the church after all."

"Then…just think of something else!"

Klein just sighed and decided to just get this over with. There was no way of convincing the sisters otherwise. Approaching the "free-spirited" priest, he could already tell why the girls didn't want to deal with him.

"Are you certain you don't want to take the time this evening to discuss the love of God in great depth?" Saul proposed to the girl, a sparkle in his eye.

"No…I'm fine…thank you." She refused politely.

"Then…how about we discuss it over dinner instead? I have heard the food in Ilia is not as…refined, compared to the exquisite cuisine that the fine restaurants in Aquleia serve."

"Oh…that's quite alright, I plan to leave Aquleia tonight for my new assignment."

"Are you sure you don't want to reconsider? Surely someone as beautiful as you wouldn't want to miss out on a chance like this!" The blue haired priest insisted. Klein figured that he was the kind of person who wouldn't give up until he heard the word "Yes". He decided now would be a good time to intervene.

"Excuse me, Father…Saul!" Klein intervened walking up to the two. The girl that the priest had been addressing gave Klein a curious look.

"Ah! Hello, did you also come today to hear the teachings of Saint Elimine? Just like this lovely young Pegasus Knight has come to do?" Saul smiled back at him, for a priest like him, he sure was friendly. The Ilian knight next to him rolled her eyes at the comment.

"Well…kind of…" Klein said hesitantly, what was he suppose to say? Maybe he should have thought of something before barging into the conversation like that. He had no choice but to be blunt, "…Father Saul…don't you have duties you must attend to?"

"Huh? Oh yes, I am attending to them right now." Saul responded casually.

"You are?" Klein widened his eyes in surprise. As did the Pegasus knight who was observing the exchange between the two.

"Yes, the church has encouraged all priests and clerics to try and recruit as many followers to the Elimine faith as possible. That is what I am discussing with this lovely young lady right here." Saul said, gesturing towards the girl, who just sighed in response to the priest's unbelievable reasoning.

"I see…then would it not be easier to ask multiple people at once, instead of taking your time to convince just one girl to join through a lavish dinner? After all, you wouldn't want to give the impression that the Elimine Church is pressuring these people into joining."

"I suppose so…"

"I think it would be better if people who followed the Elimine faith did so out of their own desire, instead out of fear and anxiety. Wouldn't you agree?" Klein continued, giving the priest a forgiving look.

"You make a good point…" Saul said scratching his head. He turned around to look at the small figure of Saint Elimine that was displayed on the pedestal, near the altar. "Well…I guess I must be returning to my other duties that were also assigned to me by the church…if any of you ever wish to discuss the teachings of Saint Elimine in great depth then I would be happy to do so." He smiled casually to the two as he walked off. Klein returned the friendly invitation with a slight nod.

"Um…"

"Hm?" Klein said turning around to face the girl that had spoken, he had almost forgotten she was still present. Now that she had caught his attention, he took the time to finally get a good look at her. She appeared to be a young girl, only a little younger then Klein, and also a little bit shorter too. The armor she wore was the traditional Ilian Pegasus Knight attire, a dark blue breastplate with similar colored gauntlets and leggings, along with light silk clothing that were draped over her shoulders and a miniskirt. Her elegant light blue eyes were matched by the color of her short, parted hair, which partially hid the headpiece that was enwrapped around her forehead. Even though she had look of a fighter, Klein was still captivated by how beautiful she was.

"T-Thank you…" She said embarrassingly, her gaze locked onto the church floor.

"No need for thanks…" He smiled back.

"If you hadn't come, I would have probably made a big scene trying to get him to stop." She joked halfheartedly.

"The priest was just doing his job...actually, the clerics asked me to confront him, to make sure he finished his duties." Klein glanced over towards Saul who was now busy conversing with the two clerics. "Although, I think they regret asking me to do so." Klein mused, seeing the distressed look on their faces as Father Saul made all sorts of crazy gestures towards them.

"Do you come here often?" She looked up at Klein, thinking that he had some kind of connection with the church.

"No…at least not anymore…my father used to bring me here when I was younger…" Klein trailed off, trying to recall exactly how many times he had come to pray.

"Then you have come to pray now?"

"Not exactly…"

"Huh?"

"I had some matters to tend to, concerning one of the Bishops here." He explained briefly. Klein didn't want to reveal too much about the request from Percival, since he had told Klein to keep it confidential.

"I see…"

"I take it, you have come here to say your blessings? Since people who are not from Etruria usually come to Aquleia at least once to visit the Supreme Church." Klein noted to the Ilian girl.

"Yes…but, not because of that…" She muttered, closing her eyes. She didn't know why she was telling a stranger this, but for some reason the archer standing before her made her feel…relaxed. "…back in Ilia, I would often get into disagreements with some of the people close to me. So, whenever I felt stressed or sad, I would go to the church and read over the sermons that the Bishops had recited in the past…"

"So…you've come here because you got in a fight with your friends…" Klein whispered solemnly. The girl just looked away at Klein's revelation. "...I know one person who used to do something very similar."

"Really?"

"Yes…" Klein spoke, smiling back at her. "He was a childhood friend of mine…due to his status, he often had to attend many banquets and ceremonies along with his father. Yet, many times he would do something rash and embarrassing that would humiliate his father in front of hundreds of people. Many of them from different nations such as Bern, Lycia, and even Ilia."

"So, what did he do?"

"Well, since his father had hired many servants to watch over him, he usually was not able to find any privacy in situations where he was feeling pressured. In fact, there was only one place in all of Aquleia where he could find solitude."

"He went to the church as well?" The Ilian girl inquired, looking directly at Klein. He shook his head in response.

"Actually, it was a small garden…"

"A garden…"

"Yes, before his mother had passed away when he was young, she had maintained a small garden in her spare time…located right behind his room." He informed her. Klein could tell from the young girl's eyes, that she was listening intently to every word of the story. "Since all the servants respected the wishes of his mother, none of them dared step foot in it. It was the only place where he could be alone."

"He would tend to the flowers while he was there?"

"Nope, he didn't know the first thing about gardening!" Klein laughed innocently. The Pegasus Knight just gave him a sarcastic look. "But, what he did know how to do was play the harp…proficiently I might add. In fact, that was the only place he would practice it, since if he were to do it anywhere else, his butlers and maids would just bother him endlessly."

"Then…he must have spent a lot of his time there…" She added curiously.

"Yes…but…" Klein paused, closing his eyes to help him remember accurately. The aqua haired girl couldn't help but giggle at Klein's pleasant smile as he recalled the event. "…A couple years later…while I was listening to his playing, I asked him…"

"_How are you so good at playing the harp? You don't even have anyone to teach you!"_

"_I taught myself when I was younger…"_

"_You taught yourself!'_

"_Yes…whenever I observed the beautiful flowers that my mother had planted, and the many animals that had made the garden their home…they made me feel warm inside. That feeling of warmth is what drove me to play the harp and teach myself."_

"_Then you play to express your happiness…"_

"_That used to be the reason…since I would usually go to my mother's garden to escape from my everyday duties, many tasks that I had been told to do, were left undone. Father would often scold me on leaving my duties unattended, but I would just ignore him."_

"_I see…"_

"_However, one day, I decided to wander around Aquleia to see if there were any other places like the garden I frequently visited. Yet, the only thing I saw were many families…families living in desolate, run down houses, where all the people were gathered around to eat dinner…on a rotten table with a few slices of old, stale bread on it."_

"……"

"_The people were in that state because I had neglected them, when I had chosen to run away from my problems instead of facing them head on…Escaping, just so that I could be happy."_

"_Prince Mildain…"_

"_Klein, I play my harp for one reason. I play so that the people who listen, the people who I am suppose to protect…the people of Etruria…know that one day I will be able to bring them prosperity."_

"The prince of Etruria…" The girl spoke softly. Klein opened his eyes to see her sparkling expression, her eyes closed to help her absorb the full effect of the story. "…you two must have been very close…"

"Yes…similar to how close you and your friends are…Miss…"

"Tate…" The young Pegasus knight revealed, opening her eyes to meet the handsome archer's warm gaze.

"Tate…" Klein echoed back, saying the name created an unusual feeling of tranquility in his mind. For some reason, he felt that would not be the only time he would hear the name.

"And I don't believe I caught your name either…"

"It's Klein…"

"Klein…" Tate put a hand to her chest as she repeated it to herself. Closing her eyes, she spoke softly, "Thank you for the story…"

"Ah, no need for thanks, I probably wasted a lot of your time with such a boring story like that." Klein chuckled.

"No…it was very helpful…"

"Anyway, I probably should leave you to say your blessings before I use up any more of your time."

"Actually, I think I'm going to be heading back now. I told my squad to meet me at the front gates anyway, if I kept them waiting any longer they would be furious." Tate said, whirling around to face the church entrance.

"Oh, didn't you come here to read one of the sermons and help you calm down?" Klein asked her, an oblivious expression on his face.

"I did…but…I believe…I found something better…" Tate smiled at Klein as she began to walk towards the exit.

Watching her leave, Klein remembered the things his father used to tell him, particularly the stories about the Pegasus Knights of Ilia. He used to think that Pegasus Knights were invincible female fighters that would do anything for money, even sacrifice their very own life. Of course, once he enrolled in the Etrurian army and had the chance to finally deal with real Pegasus Knights, he knew how naïve his impression had been. But, the girl he had just met, completely changed his outlook on them. He couldn't figure it out, but there was something about her that made him feel at ease. He sighed, hoping to have had more time to converse with her.

"I guess that's the last time I will be seeing her for a while." Klein whispered to himself making his way out of the church and onto the busy streets of Aquleia. He turned towards his horse that he had tied to the side of the entrance. Looking back at Aquleia castle one last time before mounting his Etrurian steed, Klein muttered to himself, "Well…it's about time I start get going too. To begin my new life…on the Western Isles…"

* * *

Author's note: If you didn't notice, Thine and Amy are not characters in the game. I just made them up so I could give names to Tate's Pegasus squad. They won't play a big part, so you don't have to worry about them.

Phantom Kensai: Thanks for the suggestions, I changed it to Reglay, which I also believe is much more noble sounding. And I didn't meant to give off the impression that King Mordred was dead, since I wrote "the late king Mordred" I guess I should have read over that. But, I fixed that as well.(So he isn't dead)

Wandering Cat: Thanks, good thing I took a fraction of the time to update this time.


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